Preview: FC Tulsa at Hartford Athletic – September 10 – Hartford, Conn. 6:00 p.m. CT
September 9, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – FC Tulsa News Release
TULSA – A cool night in Connecticut with temperatures hitting the low 70’s during play on Saturday has been forecasted as a fired-up FC Tulsa squad could potentially finish the evening just five points out of a playoff spot.
Coming off a midweek draw at home against Louisville City FC, FC Tulsa has its third match in eight days tomorrow night as Hartford Athletic awaits the black and gold a meager 1,475 miles away. In fact, the club has commuted more than 3,000 miles over the last 192 hours and needs to tack on three more points to stay in the hunt for a postseason appearance.
The Cuban power of FC Tulsa has been on full display lately as former teammates of the Cuban National Team, Darío Suárez and Adrián Diz Pe, have combined to score at least one goal in each of Tulsa’s last four matches. Suárez’s goal tally has increased to six on the season, trailing only Rodrigo da Costa who owns the club lead with eight. The forward now has 24 Tulsa goals over his career, the third-most in franchise history, in just his third season with the club.
Tulsa’s wingback corps also continues to establish itself as one of the most offensively productive groups in the league this season. A Sean McFarlane assist on Wednesday moved the FC Tulsa defense’s assist tally into double digits on the year with 10, pairing nicely with its three goals scored.
Despite its struggles this season, Hartford has proved that it cannot be viewed as an easy win for any USL Championship club. Hartford bested Tulsa two-and-a-half weeks ago and has earned points in three straight outings. Saturday will also mark the first match in which Hartford’s newly appointed gaffer, Tab Ramos, will be patrolling the technical area for his new employer, and FC Tulsa is hoping to spoil the new boss’ welcome party.
Kickoff from Trinity Health Stadium is set for 6 p.m. CT.
SCOUTING HARTFORD ATHLETIC
Hartford Athletic’s 2-1 victory over FC Tulsa on August 24 spurred a bit of a run for the Connecticut club. Over its last three outings, Hartford has two wins and a draw, establishing its longest unbeaten streak since its July 4-July 14 stretch back in 2021. Hartford still finds itself near the bottom of the league with 33 goals scored in 28 matches and has conceded 44 goals, the 10th most in the USL Championship this season. Hartford has posted a 4W-8L-1D record at Trinity Health Stadium in 2022 with 15 goals scored in front of its home fans. Forwards Ariel Martínez and Juan Carlos Obregón Jr. have caught up to full-back Joel Johnson to share the club lead with four goals each.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1) Don’t Turn Off the TV
If you decide to stop watching an FC Tulsa match before the final whistle, you will likely be missing out. After Adrián Diz Pe’s equalizer in the 84′ minute on Wednesday, FC Tulsa’s late-goal tally increased to 16 scores beyond the 75′ minute in matches this season, the highest mark in the USL Championship over the final 15 minutes of play. Tulsa has also rescued 12 points from losing positions in 2022, the third most in the league behind Tampa Bay Rowdies (20) and Sacramento Republic FC (18).
2) Moloto’s 200th
If Lebo Moloto hits the pitch on Saturday, it will mark the South African’s 200th career USL Championship regular season appearance. Moloto has split his seven-year career between Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Swope Park Rangers, Nashville SC, and FC Tulsa and is only 164 minutes shy of hitting 15,000 career regular season minutes as well. Earlier this year, Moloto became just the eighth player in league history to reach 30 goals and 30 assists in the regular season and is 10th in FC Tulsa history with 62 appearances for the club.
3) Playoff Race
After picking up a point against LouCity FC on Wednesday night, FC Tulsa narrowed the gap between itself and Detroit City FC to just eight with five matches left for Tulsa to play. Tulsa’s next three matches consist of contests against Hartford Athletic, a season-defining 90 minutes against Detroit, and then a match with Indy Eleven. For Detroit City, its next three matches are against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, New York Red Bulls II, and Tampa Bay Rowdies before its clash with FC Tulsa.
HOW TO WATCH
Fans can catch the match locally on My41 Tulsa or streamed on ESPN+. Be sure to follow @FCTulsa on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for highlights, updates, and more matchday content!
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